Main Street News
Chatham Summerfest brings music, food, and fun to Main Street
Above photo from Summerfest 2023. Photo by Mendy Waits.
On Saturday, July 12, the Chatham Area Business + Arts Alliance welcomes back the annual and beloved Chatham Summerfest, beginning one hour earlier to jam-pack even more fun into the day! The fun summer festival centered on and around Chatham’s charming Main Street begins at 10am and runs until 4pm this year. This year’s event line-up boasts live music, an incredible list of vendors, and lots of fun activities.
Roma Mazzariello, the 2024 Great Chatham Bake-Off Winner. Photo by Melissa Davis.
This year’s third annual Great Chatham Bake-Off will be judged by nationally-acclaimed chef, author, and editor Ruth Reichl, as well as by Ellsworth Kelly Foundation president Jack Shear, and Nine Cakes founder/baker Betsy Thorleifson.
“I’ve lived in Spencertown for nearly 30 years and love everything about it,” Reichl says. “For me this is a great way to meet local bakers I don’t already know – and to reconnect with those I do. What a way to have my cake and eat it too!”
The contest will take place at the village gazebo and bakers of all ages are invited to show off their skills and compete for the blue ribbon. All kinds of baked goods are eligible and there is no need to sign up in advance – just bring entries to the gazebo by 10:30am on the day of Summerfest.
The first-annual Marton & Davis pie-eating contest will take place at 11:30am on the Chatham Brewing stage. There will be one contest for adults and one for the under-16 age bracket. Sign up at the booth by the brewery in the morning in order to take part in the event.
The main stage for music is located at Chatham Brewery at 59 Main Street and the lineup of bands include The Beaks at 12:30, Bits & Pieces at 3pm, and Almost Vintage at 6pm. From 2-4pm, singer and guitarist Scott Stockman will perform at the gazebo.
For those interested in libations, Chatham Wine & Liquor will have wine tastings on site, Park Row Gallery will be hosting a vermouth tasting in collaboration with Klocke Estate, and Cooper’s Daughter Spirits will serve as one of the festival vendors.
If you get hungry, local restaurants Fork & Whisk, Bimi’s Cheese Shop, Chatham Brewery, and Fiesta Cafe will be open during the festival. Summerfest wouldn’t be complete without classic fair food either, so there will be plenty of additional food vendors, including Mr. Ding-a-Ling ice cream and Pixie Floss Cotton Candy.
There will be plenty of activities and entertainment for the kids too, including a hay ride that will give rides to and from Crellin Park and a magician who will perform tricks, make balloon animals, and face-paint. There will also be a scavenger hunt, and Kids Club, in association with the Morris Memorial, will host a kids’ play area on Park Row.
A full list of activities and vendors, a map of the event, and all details can be found on the Chatham Summerfest website here.
